Communities of Character Podcast

This episode's guest is Detra Gilliam. Detra's parents instilled values in Detra that have come full circle in her role as a character education teacher at Edgewood Elementary School in the Homewood City School System in Alabama. Hear about her journey and how her school develops character in their students.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Detra got involved in character education

• The values Detra’s parents instilled in her that influences her as a teacher

• Detra’s role as a “Character Education” teacher

• What BRIK, the title of her character class, stands for

• What a typical day or week looks like for Detra in her character class

• The role of the House System used at Detra’s elementary school to build character

• What a Core Values Contract is and how Detra’s school uses it

Resources from the episode:

Christy Amick is the principal of Chickasaw Elementary School, which is a part of Chickasaw City Schools, near Mobile, Alabama. She graduated from the University of Mobile with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education and earned her master’s degree in  Educational Leadership from the University of South Alabama. Under Christy's leadership, Chickasaw Elementary has increased its score since 2016 by 17 points on the Alabama State Department’s Report Card, and Chickasaw Elementary School has been recognized as a Model Site for Alabama Safe and Civil Schools and was named a Banner School by the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools.  In 2022, Christy was named the Alabama National Distinguished Principal for her district.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The different school improvement programs Christy has led at her school

• How a focus on character has improved academics and attendance

• How Christy focuses on character education as new employees join the team

• The importance of partnership between school and families

• How Christy’s school focuses on preparing students for the day after graduation

• Success stories of students who benefitted from a focus on character

• Advice Christy would give to new administrators

Resources from the episode:

In this month’s episode I interview Christi Martin, a middle school principal passionate about character. She’s going to share how her staff created an intentional partnership with students in the way of a Student Character Committee. Christi is passionate about character education and attributes her drive to lead, teach life lessons through accountability and discipline, and enhancing the culture of character at her school to her years spent playing college basketball and the lessons she gleaned from her time as an athlete.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-What motivated Christi and her school to focus on character development

-How the 11 Principles Framework guides Homewood Middle School in their work on character development

-The importance of student voice in the middle years

-How and why they created a Student Character Committee (SCC) at their school

-How the SCC has shaped the school’s character education program

-How the focus on character education has changed their school

-Next steps that they will take in their character education journey

-Advice from Christi to school leaders who are considering or just starting out on the journey of building a culture of character in their schools

Resources from the episode:

On today’s episode, I interview Scott Mitchell, who has been principal at Brock’s Gap Intermediate School in Hoover, Alabama since its inception in 2011. When the school opened, it was a 5th-6th grade configuration, and in 2018 it was re-established 3rd-5th grade intermediate school. He has over 25 years of teaching and administrative experience, all of which have been in Hoover City Schools. Scott has multiple degrees in education and leadership, and over 25 years of teaching and administrative experience.

Scott’s school is only in their 3rd year of being intentional about building a culture of character, and I think you’re going to learn a lot Scott as he shares a ton of ideas on how they’ve made their core values central to all that they do at their school, from rethinking how they use their time in their faculty settings to how they amplify their students’ voices.

In this episode, you'll learn:

     -The transition that Scott’s school went through pre- and post-pandemic, and why he made the decision to attend the Hope Leadership Academy and intentionally focus on school culture

     -The process that Scott’s school used in the selection of its core values

     -How Scott and his staff made the core values central to every decision and action so that they are strongly embedded into the school’s culture

     -How Scott helped his teachers and staff understand that they weren’t “adding one more thing to their plates”

     -How they flipped their faculty meetings to use the time for culture-focused work

     -How the students defined core values in kid-friendly language and shared it

     -How all stakeholders were involved in selecting core values

     -Scott’s biggest “aha” moment since joining the Hope Leadership Academy and applying the work of character.org at his school

     -How Scott defines students as more than a “brain on a stick” 

     -How the motto “Head, Heart, and Hands” was a light-bulb moment for Scott

     -Advice that Scott would you give someone who wanted to focus on building a culture of character at their school

Resources from the episode:

On today’s episode, you will hear from three educators who have a combined 51 years of experience! At Vestavia Hills Elementary West, Sarah Woodroof is a fifth grade teacher, Shannon Stewart is a first grade teacher, and Susan McCall is the Assistant Principal. Listen in as we discuss the importance of developing CLASSROOMS of character that lead to a school culture of character.

In this episode, you'll learn:

     -What a person would see and feel as they walk into Vestavia Hills Elementary - West (VHEW) that lets them know that VHEW is a special place and one that is grounded in character?

     -How morning meetings and Conscious Discipline have been “game changers” for VHEW

     -Advice from Sarah and Shannon on how to run morning meetings as a way to further the mission of creating a culture of character

     -The four components of morning meetings

     -The role of CLASSROOMS of Character in a School of Character

     -Starting the year by collectively writing a “Class Family Promise”

     -How using a “Quote of the Day” can help support a culture of character

     -How can a teacher or school begin to move away from doing right for the sake of rewards and toward doing right for the sake of doing good

     -How class family meetings can be used for accountability and celebrations

     -Examples of how VHEW promotes student autonomy

     -The practice of “Lightbulb Lunches” as a vehicle to amplify student voice

     -How discipline referrals are used as opportunities for character development

     -Examples of how VHEW’s core values of kindness, respect, and responsibility are infused in in all that they do

Resources from the episode:

Dr. Antonio Cooper is the Director of Curriculum & Instruction in Vestavia Hills City Schools. Dr. Antonio Cooper, Jr. was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. After graduating from Wenonah High School, he attended Alcorn State University – an HBCU – on a full athletic football scholarship, where he earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and a M.S. in Guidance and Counseling. Realizing that he wanted his reach to extend even further, Antonio earned both a specialist and doctoral degree. Professionally, he has served in many roles in education, as well as serving as a consultant, motivational speaker, adjunct professor, and author.

He was accepted into the University of Alabama’s Superintendents’ Academy and is a member of the inaugural cohort of Hope Fellows with the Hope Institute. Dr. Cooper believes that this world belongs to everyone in it, and that no one should sell themselves short thinking that they don’t have a shot at achieving their dreams. You will hear his beliefs resonate throughout his interview today!

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What it means to Antonio to be a leader in a district that supports and values character development across all its schools (3 of the 9 schools are National Schools of Character!)

• Examples of how his district provides opportunities for teachers and staff members to work collaboratively

• How the Hope Institute facilitates collaborative work for school teams

• About the impactful partnership that Vestavia Hills City Schools has with the Hope Institute and how it has been beneficial to students and staff in the district

• How the partnership with the Hope Institute led to Appreciation of Diversity sessions in the school district

• How student voice has been amplified through their Appreciation of Diversity sessions

• The award given to the school district for their professional work on diversity

• The role of support staff in the district’s work with core values and gaps that were identified

• How new teachers are inducted into the district so that they understand the culture where character education is a priority

• Qualities that his district looks for when hiring leaders that will shape or strengthen a school’s culture of character

• How to keep the fire alive for character development instead of implementing a top-down mandate

• Finding funding for the school district to participate in the Hope Leadership Academy

• What Antonio would you go back and tell his younger self as an education leader

Resources from the episode:

Today’s guest is Dr. Gregory Moore. For the past six years, Dr. Moore has served as principal in the Springville community in Springville, Alabama at both the elementary and high school level. Concurrently, he also serves as a Hope Fellow with Hope Institute which has allowed Springville High School to host character leaders of schools to share intentionality towards character education. He is also a presenter and speaker for professional development activities, principal symposiums, and character conferences. He is passionate about character education and strongly believes schools benefit from a healthy school environment driven by a strong character education program.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-Springville High School’s Tiger Code and how it was recently recognized as a Promising Practice from Character.org

-How intentionality plays a role in developing a culture of good character

-The importance of being present and visible as a school leader

-How being a college basketball player prepared Gregory to be a school leader

-The influence of Charles Barkley during Gregory’s senior year of high school

-The quote from Gregory’s college basketball coach and how it has influenced his leadership

-How Gregory approaches character development at his school

-Lessons that Gregory learned while leading in an elementary school

-How the school motto (“Springville High School: Where tradition matters and excellence is an expectation.”) ties into the school’s core values.

-Advice Gregory would give to school leaders who are considering or just starting out on the journey of building a culture of character in their schools

Resources from the episode:

On this episode, you’ll get to hear from Gerrie Spellmann, the principal at Woodridge Elementary in San Antonio, Texas. She’s currently in her 29th year in public education, and in the episode you’ll hear her often say that leaders cannot do it alone. Gerrie actively networks with other principals across her state through the Texas Elementary and Principal Association (TEPSA), where she’s served in numerous regional and state level committees and currently serves on the TEPSA Executive Committee as Member at Large. TEPSA Collaboration led her to co-author a published book called The T-TESS Blackbook: The Go-To Guide for Administrators. Her school has been recognized as a national school of character, and in this interview she shares many examples of how character is infused in everything they do at Woodridge Elementary.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-How Gerrie got involved in character education

-The core values & creed for Woodridge Elementary, "Be the WE"

-The bold mission statement for Gerrie's district and what that means for her, the staff, and students

-The school's service project that Gerrie is most proud of

-How the students made a shift from community service to seeing a need in their community and taking action through service learning

-How a project promoting tolerance has led to state changes in Holocaust education

-The Principal's Advisory Crew: what it does, how it was selected, and how it has impacted Gerrie as a principal

-What Gerrie believes are the keys to building a positive, healthy adult culture

-Examples of intentional culture building with the adults in her school

-The advice Gerrie would give to someone starting out and trying to build a culture of character in their school

-Challenges Gerrie faced while building a culture of character

Resources from the episode:

In this episode, Liz Huntley shares insights, lessons, and inspiration! Liz practiced law for over 25 years, and most recently pivoted from her role as full-time lawyer to full-time leader at The Hope Institute, a non-profit she co-founded in Birmingham, Alabama. The Hope Institute partners with schools in Alabama to help them create cultures of character through their flagship program, the three-year Hope Leadership Academy. Liz serves as a motivational speaker throughout the country where she shares her inspirational life story that she captured in her memoir, “More Than A Bird.” After her mother’s suicide and the incarceration of her father, Liz was raised in her grandmother’s home where she lived in poverty and faced sexual abuse by her uncle. It was a school with a culture of character, and a loving teacher who said to her, “Elizabeth, you’re going to be the brightest student I ever have,” that gave Liz hope and changed the trajectory of her life to become a successful attorney and child advocate.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-How Liz came to be a “attorney by day, child advocate by night”

-The light in Liz’s childhood

-Liz’s vision for The Hope Institute

-How a culture of character serves students as well as adults in a school

-Lessons that Liz has learned through her character work

-What it’s like to start something from scratch without a blueprint to follow

-The role of character coaches at The Hope Institute

-What makes Liz feel like her best self

-The story about Liz’s personal “Wonder Woman”

-The mantra Liz tells herself that was given to her by her “Wonder Woman”

-What The Hope Institute has done for participants that wasn’t expected

-What Liz would tell her younger self about her current role

-Exciting events coming up for The Hope Institute

Resources from the episode:

On today’s episode, you’ll get to hear from “The Voice of Character Education,” Dr. Phil Vincent, a long-time educator, consultant, and author, who currently resides in the mountains of North Carolina. He was the recipient of Sanford N. McDonnell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Character Education Partnership, now known as Character.org. Phil received his Master’s degree in education from Appalachian State University and his doctor of education degree in curriculum and instruction from North Carolina State University. In this episode, you will hear joy, wisdom, and humor, as Phil shares stories and insights after a lifetime of learning and teaching about character.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-How Phil got the nickname, “The Voice of Character Education”

-How Phil got involved in character education 

-Why Phil says, “This year’s program is next year’s shelf fodder.”

-What Phil believes about “making character education the plate.”

-What Phil describes as the journey of character development

-The story about the compass and the question, “How will I be the compass?”

-The importance of relationships between the adults in a school

-What Phil says should happen in the first week of school

-A simple yet powerful classroom routine that builds a caring community

-A personal example of Phil’s daughter’s school experience

-The importance of a teacher’s actions in the classroom

-How Phil answered the statement, “The best thing I did was ________.”

-Phil’s takeaway he wants listeners to get from the conversation

Resources from the episode:

Lessons from the Classroom 20 Things Good Teachers Do, by Hal Urban

20 Things I Want My Kids to Know, by Hal Urban

Developing Character in Students: A Primer: For Teachers, Parents, and Communities, by Philip F. Vincent

On this episode, we chat with educational psychologist, best-selling author, and TODAY show contributor, Dr. Michele Borba. Dr. Borba is an internationally renowned educator, award-winning author, and parenting & child expert, and we’ll talk about the importance of developing character and character skills, how we get the concept of resilience wrong, and stories of hope.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-The spark that got Michele started in the area of developing character

-The book that changed Michele’s life

-What Michele is seeing now in regards to our parents and children and their mental health and well-being

-What Michele believes will help children to bounce back from setbacks

-How Michele narrowed down the seven strengths that make the list in her book, Thrivers

-How a parent or educator should take the first step in building character strengths in children.

-The story of teacher Norm Conard and his class motto, “He who changes one person, changes the world entire.”

-The story of Irene Sendler, who saved 2500 Jewish children in Poland during World War II

-An example of Dr. Tom Lickona’s quote, “knowing the good, desiring the good, and doing the good.”

-What is Mean World Syndrome (based on the work of George Gerbner) and how to counter it

-How we get the concept of resilience wrong

Resources from the episode:

On this episode, we chat with Dr. Julie Schmidt Hasson of Appalachian State University, author of Safe, Seen, and Stretched in the Classroom: The Remarkable Ways Teachers Shape Students’ Lives. Julie spent a year interviewing people and collecting stories about how teachers impacted their lives, and in her book she shares the common themes she discovered. In this episode, we discuss Julie's book and how it aligns with the 11 Principles Framework from Character.org as well as Julie's favorite story from the book. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

-Where Julie got the idea and how it developed into a book (it didn't start out as a book idea!)

-How Julie's book compares to the book, More Than a Bird, by Liz Huntley, The Hope Institute's co-founder.

-The importance of finding meaning in one's work, and how it must align with personal values

-What Julie's research revealed about the importance of building relationships and caring communities

-The lessons Julie discovered about the power of words, trust, community, and love, and how to apply those lessons

-What Julie found in her stories that underlines teachers’ actions as well as student inferences and how both of those affect a teacher’s impact

-Julie shares the story about Maria from her book and lessons in equity

-Julie shares her favorite story from the book

-What's next for Julie

Resources from the episode:

Shared leadership and long-range support for continuous improvement is the focus of Principle 9 of the 11 Principles Framework from character.org. In this episode, Principal Ben White shares how his school empowers adults and students to take on leadership roles and ownership of the character education program at his school. 

What you'll learn in the episode:

-How Ben got involved in character education

-What it was like to start a principal role during the summer of 2020, when schools were shut down during the pandemic

-The impact of the Hope Leadership Academy on Ben in his first leadership role as assistant principal

-How to empower others to see themselves as leaders

-The quote from Dr. Marvin Berkowitz that made a lasting impression on Ben's leadership practices

-How Ben has provided opportunities for teachers to learn more about character

-The head, heart, and hands method (from Dr. Tom Lickona) that Ben emphasizes

-The role of teacher and student feedback in character education

-Why teachers embed core values into classroom jobs

-What kindergarten students taught Principal White about character education

-How building a culture of character is not a linear process

Resources from the episode:

Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smart by Liz Wiseman

PRIMED for Character Education: Six Design Principles for School Improvement by Dr. Marvin Berkowitz

Eight Habits of the Heart: Embracing the Values That Build Strong Communities by Clifton Taulbert

The focus of this episode is Principle 7 of the 11 Principles Framework from Character.org. Today's guest has been serving as an educator for 43 years, both in public and private education. Cas McWaters is currently the Chief Academic Office for Cornerstone Schools of Alabama. In today's conversation, he will share ideas that are appropriate for public and private schools to foster intrinsic motivation. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

-How Character.org and The Hope Institute helped Cornerstone Schools to get laser-focused on character development

-The reflective process involved in intrinsic motivation

-Why Cas believes that students today have the most charitable hearts

-Struggles that Cornerstone Schools faced with assessing their character program and intrinsic motivation

-The 5 character pillars of Cornerstone Schools and why changed from their original core values

-How students are assessed in intrinsic motivation at Cornerstone Schools

-How Cornerstone Schools completely changed their graduation ceremony into a family event

-The number 1 piece of advice that Cas gives to new or aspiring administrators

Resources:

This episode features insights from Andrea Hamner, the principal at Huntington Place Elementary School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The focus of this episode is Principle 6 of the 11 Principles Framework from Character.org. Andrea is passionate about her school community and the culture of character that was created by the leadership from students and staff members. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

-How Andrea got involved in character education

-What it means to offer a challenging academic curriculum that “develops students’ character”

-How Huntington Place Elementary builds and maintains a culture of high academic expectations while also providing meaningful and appropriate challenges for students of all ability levels

-The kind of professional development her teachers attend to learn how to meet the needs of diverse learners

-An example of how character education is integrated into academic content and instruction

-How new teachers are trained to ensure that they know and model core values and continue to build a culture of character

-How her school has been able to maintain high expectations through the pandemic and with limitations that have been in place

Resources from the episode:

It's important that students and staff feel a sense of belonging at school. This episode focuses on Principle 4 of the 11 Principles Framework from Character.org, which is about creating a caring and respectful community among stakeholders. Today's guest, Susan Gossett, helped to lead her middle school's team to earn the recognition of State School of Character in 2021. Tune in as she shares how her school created a caring community at Brookwood Middle School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 

What you'll learn in the episode:

-How Susan got involved in character education

-Some key components of the character education initiatives at Brookwood Middle School

-How Brookwood Middle School created, and continues to sustain, a caring community

-How staff at BMS create positive relationships with students’ parents and guardians

-Steps that Brookwood Middle School takes to prevent bullying and violence

-How to assess a "caring community"

Resources from the episode:

The focus of this episode is Principle 3 of the 11 Principles Framework from character.org, which is about developing character through a comprehensive and intentional approach. Dr. Wayne Richardson is the principal at Deer Valley Elementary in Hoover City Schools in Hoover, Alabama. Deer Valley was named a National School of Character in 2018, and they use a comprehensive approach to character development. Hear from Dr. Richardson as he shares wisdom and insights from his long and exceptional career as a school leader.

In this episode you'll learn:

-Dr. Richardson's dream school, and what he learned about bullying prevention

-What Dr. Richardson and his team learned from doing site visits to Maxwell Elementary and the Ron Clark Academy

-How a quote from Todd Whitaker shapes his leadership in creating a culture of character

-Examples of how teachers integrate character education into academic content and instruction

-How to make time for teachers to plan and design lessons for character education

-The importance of new teacher induction so that they understand the priority of character education 

-Dr. Richardson's advice for school leaders who are trying to move beyond “teachable moments” to an intentional plan for character education

-What Dr. Richardson would tell his younger self as a school leader about building cultures of character

Resources from the episode: